1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for stacking bags of materials onto pallets, and more particularly, to an automated palletizer.
The present invention further relates to a system for automating the stacking of bundles and bags of material onto a pallet.
The present invention further relates to a method for loading bags of material or bundles onto a pallet and dispensing that loaded pallet to a load pick-up area for shipment. Other advantages will become apparent by a reading of the specification.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bagged material is often loaded onto pallets to facilitate the movement and shipping of a quantity of bags from location to location. Apparatus have been developed to assist in this loading process, but such apparatus have usually been large and cumbersome, and prone to mechanical failure and breakdown. Further, the apparatus of the past have required the user to depend upon a single supplier for parts and other specialty items, which all results in loss of facility efficiency and slowdown in delivery. In addition, the apparatus of the past have been labor intensive, in that more than one person was required to operate the apparatus, and the speed of operation was limited by the cumbersome mode of operation of the apparatus itself. Where simplification of the apparatus of the past has been attempted, the process of loading the bags of material onto the pallets has suffered.
Sheehan, U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,194, discloses a self contained pallet elevating bag palletizer. The palletizer is constructed on a wheel supported frame and has an empty pallet magazine containing an empty pallet stack. The empty pallets are distributed to the hydraulic scissors pallet elevator one at a time, while the rearward pallets are momentarily lifted. The pallets are distributed to the elevator by a hydraulic cylinder means. The pallet has a table which is raised and lowered by a hydraulic scissors mechanism from successive elevated positions wherein the platform is lowered in timed relation with a rotary bag positioner, which positioner forms a predetermined pattern of bagged material.
Kintgen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,755 discloses a bag handling apparatus which includes a bag flattener to force the residual air from the bagged material thereby allowing the formation of a tighter, neater stack of material on the pallet to be loaded. A palletizer is disclosed wherein powered roller means and a conveyor means are disclosed, as well as an automated lift assembly for positioning pallets in the area to which they are to be loaded. The lift assembly is chain driven with several electric motors. The system further provides for the bags to be stacked onto the pallet to be pushed into contact with the underside of the loading area so as to assure full compression of the bagged material. In addition, the apparatus is equipped with a photoelectric eye which causes the bags to be rotated some predetermined distance so as to form a predetermined pattern.
Boyland, U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,184 discloses a palletizer which includes a support frame and a pallet magazine carried on top of the frame. A loading plate, which may be pneumatic, is mounted for reciprocating movement relative the frame and is moveable between a retracted position below the pallets in the magazine to an extended position. A structure is provided on the loading plate for engaging the lowermost pallet prior to movement of the plate to its extended position such that the lowermost pallet is withdrawn from the magazine when the loading plate is moved to its extended position.
The pallet is received initially onto the loading plate and, as the loading plate is moved into its ready position, the pallet is deposited onto the lift assembly, and the loading table returns to its initial position. The bags of material are then brought to the loading table over a conveyor means, positioned manually, and the loading table is actuated by a hydraulic cylinder to its extended position. As the table returns to its extended position, the bags are forced off the table and onto the awaiting pallet. The lift assembly then, in response to a photoelectric device, is lowered by a hydraulic means, the loading plate returned to its loading position and the process is repeated. When the pallet is filled to capacity, it is deposited onto a live conveyor means, and the process is repeated.